Page 86 of High Baller

She left a little earlier than she wanted to, but she said that she wanted two days to sort out all the banking stuff before her next flight. It was like a new thing was happening with her parents every other day that it got to the point I told Calvin to call me instead of calling Sky, as she was getting more upset about it.

Sky never answered me about moving in with, no matter how many times I asked her. The only plan that Sky has at the moment is to find a way to sort her parents out, and make sure she can get rid of them once and for all. I still think her moving in with me is the best way. With everything that I've heard about them, I don't see them traveling to the States any time soon.

“Where's Sky's next flight to?" Derek asks as he walks onto the court.

“Seattle." I shoot the ball into the hoop. "I've asked Ma to come over for dinner before I leave for the next few games away."

Derek hands me the bag. "Then I think you’ll need to show her this.”

The moment Sky left, I spent a week designing the perfect ring for her. I don't care what people will think, I don't care what people will say, but I know Sky’s the girl for me, and I plan on making her mine for the rest of my life.

"Did it come out like the design?" I ask, taking the box out of the bag. I wanted something big for Sky, but Ariel had said after talking to Sky about girly stuff, she found out Sky’s not a fan of flashy things, and I had to agree.

I showed Ariel Sky's Instagram page and said that she likes vintage stuff. The only thing I said I wanted was that the ring had to be platinum.

I open the box and grin so fucking wide; it's everything that I pictured. The simple diamond sits high in the center. I wanted it to be a built up a little more than regular rings, and this one is perfect. I love how the diamond sparkles, just like my Sky.

"I think it's very Sky," Derek tells me as he shoots the ball into the hoop.

"It is, I just have to hope she says yes.” I reply, and return the box back in the bag.

Derek laughs. “Well, she did answer your question about moving in with you really fast," he says, still laughing.

I'll have to admit that this is the first time I'm not very confident in my plans. I don't even know when I'm going to ask her. Should I take her away somewhere she’s always wanted to go? Out to a nice dinner? I have no idea what I'm doing here.

"You got jokes today?" I put the bag to one side. I take the basketball from Derek and continue my game. “How's Ariel doing with the season?" A couple of days ago, he told me that she was finding being away from him hard and that she wasn't sure if them being together was the best thing right now.

"Well, she hasn't broken up with me yet,” he says. “We’ve spoken, and I told her that I don't want to break up, but if it's getting too much for her, I understand." Derek dribbles the ball around me.

"What does she say to that?"

"That she loved me, and we can work through it. Her words were, 'if Trey and Sky can do it when they don't even live in the same country, we should be good to go.”

Even though I laugh about it, he’s right. Sky and I might only see each other maybe for a few days in the month with her work and mine overlap. Once the season has finished, I plan on spending every day with her and travel to wherever she's going.

"She's not wrong," I tell him as we continue our game.

"Mr…"

"Pia, call me Trey.” I turn around to face her as she walks in looking at Sky's recipe book.

"I'm making the pasta you asked for, but what does this say?" She stands next to me, pointing to the ingredients, and I look over at Derek who’s holding a smile, but I am too. Why does Pia think I know what it is? I look anyway.

"I have no idea, Pia, some British thing, I think.” I take my phone out of my pocket. "Let me call her, and you two can talk cooking.” I hit call on Sky’s name.

“Hey," she answers on the second ring.

"Hey, I want to ask about your day, but I'll call back later for that.” I glance over at Pia looking through the binder. "Pia has a question about one of your recipes."

"Sure, what's the question?"

"I'm just going to give her the phone.” I hand the Pia the phone, and let them two talk as Derek and I get back to our game.

"I love that pasta and chicken," Derek tells me as he shoots the ball over my head.

"Let's see if Pia can make it the same.” I run over to the ball. I want to ask Sky what her plans are with the binder, which is growing with new recipes that she's trying out. I'd love her to quit her job one day and spend more time over here with me, and a career cooking, something that she loves just as much, could be a possibility.

Derek stayed for lunch, then left as he had plans with Ariel, and I wanted to FaceTime Sky before my Ma came over.